FORMATION  RELATIVE  TO  ENLISTMENT  AND  PROMOTION  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES  COAST  GUARD. 


TltKAhUKY     I>KrAKTMK.ST, 

United  States  Coaht  Gtahd, 

Washington,  August  10,  1916. 


'I'lio  following  iufurmution  h  publiiihod  rolutive  to  cnlutmonl  nnd 
iiiiotiou  in  the  Uuitod  Stuteti  Coaut  Uuurd. 

E.  P.  Debtiiolt, 

Captain  Commandant. 

ily  the  act  of  Congrww  approved  .laniiary  28,  1915,  the  Rovenue- 
il«'r  S«rvi<'t'  and  the  Lifi'-Saving  .Service  were  conibine<l  into  the 
list  (iuurd,  and  tlio  titles  of  the  former  servie«-s  then  heranie 
"lete.  All  ilutieM  previously  i>erforined  l»y  the  Kevenue-<\itter 
1  vicK  and  the  Life-Saving  S<Tvic<>  are  now  ]»erfonned  by  the  ("oaMt 
lurd.  Former  revenue  cutters  and  foniier  life-?iaving  statioas  are 
u-  called  .('oast  Guard  cutters  and  Coast  Ciuard  stations,  n-spoc- 
cly.  The  officers  and  men  of  the  two  servici-s  were  transferred  to 
re»)|Minding  ptwitions  in  the  Coast  Ciuani  by  the  terms  of  the  act. 

ENLISTMENT. 

I  he  tenn  of  enlistment  for  all  enlisted  men  in  the  Coast  Guard  h 
year.     Knlistinents   are   for  general   scn'ice   and    not    for   any 
Mlruiiir  Viwsel  or  stiltioii. 

\ny  mun  or  boy  between  the  agen  of  14  and  .};>  years,  who  can  pas« 

re«|uired  ph>'sictil  examination,  is  eligible  for  enlistment  in  the 

list  (tuartl.     Preference  Is  given,  first,  to   citizcas  of  the   United 

iU>s;  second,   to  aliens  who  have   dedareil   their  inlentioas,   and 

.  to  aliens.     An  alien  c*n  not  .si-rve  a  sc<ontl  enlistment  uidess 

lieclarcH  his  intentions  to  become  a  citizeit,  or  is  debarred  from 
./enship  by  law. 
Ihe  Coast  Ciuard  maintains  no  recruiting  oHlccs.     Persons  desiring 

•  •idist  on  shijw  should  apply  to  the  commanding  or  exe<ulive 
M  erx  of  those  shijw;  those  desiring  to  eyiisi  as  surfnien  shi>»dd  appl.v 
thi  ke«>pers  of  the  stations  or  the  supt'rintendent.s  of  the  districta 

i-emed.  Application  in  person  is  pn>ferablo  to  ap)>li<'ution  by 
!er,  but  in  ca.se  the  applicant  is  at  a  considerable  distance  fn>m  the 
in»st  cutt«'r  or  station,  he  may  nj)])ly  by  letter.  It  is  not  ni'cwwary 
•^now  tlit<  name  of  the  officer  to  whom  ap|>licatiftn  is  made.     Lrtlent 

mIiI  he  address(>d  to  the  "Commanduig  Officer"  of  the  ship  or  the 
»istrict  Superintendent"  i>f  the  district  about  which  infonualion  is 

ireil.  'i'hero  m  no  special  fonn  for  application.  Letters  of  applica- 
n  ahoulii  be  as  short  aa  ])o«uble.  at  thosamo  timegiring  nocctseiary 


:r4rii7;i 


-  DOCUMENIS 

DEPT. 
information  as  to  age,  nativity,  fitizciisliip,  cxpcTiciicc  niul  otlior 
qualifications. 

No  record  of  vacancies  in  the  enlisted  force  is  kept  at  the  Coast 
Guard  Headquarters  in  Washington. 

QUALIFICATIONS  FOR  ENLISTMENT. 

No  pei-son  shall  he  enlisted  without  first  passing  tlie  prescrihed  phys- 
ical examination  and  agreeing  to  be  vaccmated  against  smallpox  and 
typhoid  fever  at  such  times  as  may  be  designated  by  Headquarters. 

No  person  shall  be  enlisted  who  does  not  read  and  write  some 
language  and  readily  understand  and  speak  English. 

No  person  under  the  age  of  21  shall  be  enlisted  without  the  consent 
of  his  father,  only  surviving  parent,  or  guardian.  If  the  applicant 
has  none  of  these  in  the  United  States  he  must  so  certify  on  the 
enlistment  contract,  after  which  he  may  be  enlisted. 

No  person  who  has  been  in  the  mUitary  or  naval  service  of  the 
United  States  or  of  the  several  States  shall  be  eidisted  imless  he 
produces  an  honorable  discharge  or  an  ordinary  discharge  with 
recommendation  for  reenlistment  from  each  of  the  services  in  which 
he  has  served,  and  certifies  m  writing' that  the  discharge  is  or  dis- 
charges are  the  latest  received  by  him  from  said  services. 

No  person  under  14  or  over  35  years  of  age;  no  insane  or  intoxicated 
person;  no  person  known  to  have  committed  a  crime;  no  deserter 
from  the  Coast  Guard,  Revenue-Cutter  Service,  Life-Saving  Service, 
Army,  Navy,  Marine  Corps  or  the  military  or  naval  service  of  any  of 
the  several  States,  and  no  person  under  5  feet  4  inches  in  height  shall 
be  enlisted.  The  requirement  as  to  height  does  not  apply  to  ship's 
writers,  electricians  (third  class),  stewards,  cooks  and  boys,  who  must 
be  not  less  than  4  feet  9  inches  in  height. 

No  person  shall  be  enlisted  as  surf  man  who  is  under  18  years  of 
age,  who  weighs  (without  clothing)  less  than  135  pounds  or  more  than 
205  poimds,  or  who  is  not  a  good  swimmer. 

Fraudulent  enlistment  is  jmnishable  hy  a  Coast  Guard  court. 

PROMOTION. 

The  complement  of  a  vessel  or  station  includes  such  commissioned 
and  warrant  oflicers  as  may  be  assigned  from  time  to  time,  together 
with  a  specified  number  of  petty  officers  and  other  enlisted  men. 

PETTY   OFFICERS. 

Wlien  a  vacancy  occurs  in  the  grade  of  petty  officer  it  is  filled  by 
ratuig  an  enUsted  man  of  inferior  ratmg  as  acting  petty  officer  for  a 
probationary  period  of  tln-eo  months,  which  may  be  extended  three 
months  more  in  case  the  man  is  not  deemed  fully  qualified  for  pro- 
motion. An  acting  rating  may  be  revoked  at  any  time.  If,  at 
the  end  of  a  probationary  period,  or  extension  thereof,  an  acting 
petty  officer  is  deemed -qaalified  for  promotion  and  his  commanding 


otiiccr  or  ilistrict  HU[MTUiti'ii(lent  nTonnuvntlit  hiiu  fur  pruiitotiuii 
Hi-uii(|Uurt«>rH  will  isHUi'  a  |M'ruiaui<nt  rating. 

No  {MTHoiut  ••Xf«'|)t  !*hip'i«  wriliTH  uiui  i-lccthciaiw  Uhint  rlaMi) 
lihall  \h-  origiimlly  I'lilistt-tl  ah  actint;  p«'tty  ollic«TH.  No  luciitd 
cxiimiimtioa  in  hi'KI  for  ••ulLstim-iil  in  tin's*'  ratiiign,  hut  applicanth 
mast  pru«lu<u'  suiiitfaolory  I'vidt-iu*'  of  thr  <|Uiilili<iiiioiis  for  BUrh 
ratiiitfH.  Shi|)'s  wntt-rs  miL-.t  bv  (■oiii|>fti'nt  !.t<'iM>j;mph«'r»  and  typo- 
writtTH  ami  matt  Im<  al)li<  to  write  a  t;ooil  humi. 

A  railio  ojM'rator'rt  licciut*',  comm«'nial,  I'Xtra  or  lir>il  p^*'''.  i-'«u<'d  by 
tlu'  Di'piirtmi'iit  of  Comiut'rw,  will  Ik-  acwpletl  an  a  wrtilicatr  of  tt'oh- 
niiul  iiiiiililiiutiiiu  fi.r  <rili.->tiin'Jit  in  tin-  lowi'st  ^radi'  uf  cli-ctricmu. 

Whi-ni-viT  pru»ti('ul)lt',  vac4incii'»  in  tlu'  IukIht  pra«i«'s  of  |x'tly 
i.HiiuT  art'  fdlfil  by  advancing  jM'tty  oIlirorH  of  lower  jjradit*.  tliiw 
providing;  a  gradual  tlow  of  promotion. 

WARMANT  omrEBM. 

The  next  grade  above  p«'lty  ollicen*  Is  that  of  warrant  ollicerH. 
A  warrant  ollicer  w  ap|M>inted  for  life  and  ean  bi«  separated  from  the 
fierviee  only  by  <leutli,  resignation,  or  dismissal.  'Hie  grades  of 
wnrnint  odieers  in  the  Coast  (iuard  are  lilled  a.H  follows: 

.\laiftrr'»  mate.--\\\  promotion  from  lower  gratles  of  warrant 
ollicers. 

' liiMiUifoin,   ffunufr,    nuuhin'mt,   and   airi>iiiltr.      Hy    j.r-"'' f 

deserving  petty  oflieers. 

hifprr.  -  By  promotion  of  surfmen. 

When  there  Is  uo  jx'tty  ofliter  c|ualitieii  for  proniotinn  t<>  ih<  ;;nide 
of  i-ariMiiter  or  maehini>t,  lleatlijuarters  may  auihorize  tin-  enltst- 
nient  of  a  comix'tent  (>enM>n  in  a  lower  rating  tlian  petty  otiicer  and 
ihn<ft  hLs  immediate  rating  tus  acting  carp<'nter  or  acting  inachinLst. 

Warrant  ollicers  mast  Ix-  citizens  of  the  Tnite*!  States,  not   lens 

than  '2'>  nor  more  than  42  years  of  age  when  rated  as  acting  warrant 

otlicerH,  and  must  Ih>  de«iiie«l  lapable  of  pa.<<sing  tlie  required  physK-al 

and  mental  examinations.     .Uler  Ht-rving  a  probationary  jx-nod  of 

six  months  (which  may  Ik-  extentietl  if  ex|M'dient)  ami  In-ing  n-com- 

ineiideil  for  promotion  by  c«>m|M>tent    authority  an   acting  warrant 

ollicer  will  be  examined  for  promotion,  and  if  he  puAM-s  he  will  bo 

apptniited. 

c-<>M.MUwioMt»  iirrM-ni.H. 

All  commi.'wionetl  uffio'rs  except  district  i»up«'rintendents  and 
constructors  must  enter  the  (\iast  (iuard  om  ciulets.  Vacanrieti  in 
the  grade  of  district  sujx'rintendent  an-  IIUimI  by  promotion  of  kee|>.'ni 
of  stations.  Nacancies  in  the  griwie  of  constructor  are  lilletl  by  the 
appointment  of  sp«'cialist»  in  that  line  of  work.  There  an-  13  tlLslrict 
»U|tenntendents  and  2  constructors  in  the  Coast  liuard.  A  uncial 
IMiinphUt  U  inmuti  upon  Uu  mjuirrmfnU  for  apinnntmrnt  at  cadet* 
and  cadtt  rmjinttrt. 


PRIVILEGES. 

Conditions  permitting,  an  onlistod  man  may  be  granted  leave  of 
absence  on  full  pay  for  15  days  each  year.  In  addition,  for  reen- 
Ustment  immediately  after  discharge,  he  is  credited  with  10  days, 
making  25  days  a  year  on  full  pay  for  aU  enlisted  men  serving  con- 
tinuously for  more  than  one  year.  Warrant  officers  may  be  granted 
30  days'  leave  on  full  pay  in  one  year. 

Permission  to  go  on  shore  for  periods  of  less  than  24  hours  may  be 
granted  to  aU  warrant  officers  and  cnHsted  men  with  good  records 
whenever  their  duties  permit,  and  such  shore  liberty  is  not  cheeked 
against  their  leave. 

A  person  who  has  received  an  honorable  discharge  is  entitled 
to  reenlistment  on  the  day  following  his  discharge  in  the  vacancy 
caused  by  his  discharge,  without  regard  to  age  and  without  physical 
examination,  unless  it  is  evident  that  he  is  suffering  from  a  disa- 
bility not  incident  to  service. 

Each  person  upon  first  enlisting  in  the  Coast  Guard  (provided  he 
has  never  served  in  the  Revenue-Cutter  Service)  has  credited  to 
his  account  the  sum  of  $45,  and  upon  each  subsequent  enlistment 
the  sum  of  $20  for  uniform  clothmg,  and  such  amount  will  be  paid 
to  him  upon  discharge,  if  he  receives  an  honorable  discharge. 

All  warrant  and  petty  officers  are  allowed,  in  conformity  with  law, 
10  per  cent  increase  of  the  pay  of  their  grades  or  ratings  for  every 
five  years'  creditable  service,  such  increase  not  to  exceed  40  per  cent- 
In  computing  longevity  pay  all  service  in  the  Coast  Guard,  Revenue- 
Cutter  Service,  Life-Saving  Service,  Army,  Navy,  and  Marine  Corps 
shall  be  included,  except  service  as  a  cadet  or  cadet  engineer  subse- 
quent to  August  24,  1912. 

Warrant  officers,  petty  officers,  and  other  enhstcd  men  are  retired 
from  active  service  upon  reaching  the  age  of  64  years  and  when  foimd 
by  a  retiring  board  to  be  incapacitated  to  perform  active  duty,  the 
incapacity  being  incident  to  service.  Thej'  may  also  be  retired 
upon  their  own  request  after  30  years'  service  in  the  Coast  Guard, 
Revenue-Cutter  Service,  Life-Saving  Service,  Army,  Navj^,  and 
Marine  Corps.  Retu'ed  warrant  officers,  petty  officers,  and  enlisted 
men  receive  75  per  cent  of  the  full  pay  of  their  grades  or  ratings. 

Whenever  a  warrant  officer,  petty  officer,  or  other  enlisted  man 
on  the  active  list  dies  by  reason  of  perilous  service  or  any  wound 
or  injury  received  or  disease  contracted  in  the  line  of  duty  leaving 
a  widow,  or  a  child  or  children  under  16  years  of  age,  or  a  dependent 
mother,  such  widow  and  child  or  children  and  dependent  mother 
shall  be  entitled  to  receive,  in  equal  portions,  during  a  perio<l  of 
'  two  years,  under  such  regulations  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 
may  prescribe,  the  same  amount  that  the  husband  or  father  or  son 
would  be  entitled  to  receive  as  pay  if  he  were  alive  and  continued  on 
the  roUs:    Provided,  That  if  the  widow  shall  remarry  at  any  time 


5 

during  said  two  years,  her  portion  of  Mid  amount  uhall  c«?a««<  to  be 
pttid  to  h»<r  from  the  date  of  romarriago,  but  rthall  \h-  added  to  the 
II  mount  to  be  paid  to  the  remaining  Iw-nfficiariej*,  if  tht-re  by  any 
an«!  if  any  child  shall  arriv.'  at  the  agi-  of  16  y«-ar>»  during  the  Mid 
two  vars,  the  portion  of  such  chihl  shall  coa-so  to  !>«•  paid  to  such 
rhihi  from  the  date  on  which  such  age  shall  In-  attainetl,  but  it  ahall 
be  addi-d  to  the  amount  to  In'  paid  to  the  remainiug  beneticiariert,  if 
there  be  any. 

I'AV  «)K  WAKKANT  OKKH  EKM. 
Tho  baso  rat«<s  of  pay  of  warrant  oliicerti  in  tlio  Coa«t  Guard  aro  as 
follows: 

Miwttrr'n  ii»»l«fl,  wiuor  fu-  month..  fl30 

<»lh.ir  iiitt,.l.T  «  iuat.1. do 110 

K-  I  ■  r-  II.  !  a  •Ml.'  k....ii.Ti p«r  annum..  1,000 

l:    •                        r~  i-anx'QX^.  uui  marhinuu month..  ^'t 

\                           .  .M do....  10 

\.                               kiinnon,  caqwnten,  and  marhiniiti do 60 

In  ttddiljon  to  tho  al>ovo,  all  warrant  oflTieoni  and  acting  warrant 
ofhc'iirH  r<>c*ivo  commutation  of  rations  at  the  rate  of  30  cont«  a  day. 
VuntAiy  pan  of  fttty  ofiem  and  otker  mbtUd  men. 
PETTY  OrriCKRS. 


oiiw,  nm  ri  I 
Aartrtanlnu^ 
QnvMniMiiio' 

fl«r«i1rtan.  .~ 


iL«>  I         «».M 
MOO  >         M.OB 


OTBBII  BNUrntD  MBH. 


I     tw  i«>  I 


luT^.  nnt'i,*'.!!!!;!;;;!";;;!;;.  r«o 

lloT,  M>-nfcl  rlHi ■  ....  3\.tO 

Enlisted  man  who  are  not  aub(iMt«d  by  the  Government  reoeire 
commutation  of  ration:*  of  tho  rate  of  30  cents  a  day. 


iAttoJ  cfuUiliff  viiseU  of  the  Coatl  Ovard. 

Name. 

Post-omce  address. 

Name. 

Post-omce  addiees. 

Osslpee 

Portland,  Me. 
Boston,  Mass. 

WoodsHole,  Mass. 

Baltimore,  Md. 
South  Baltimore,  Md. 
Norfolk,  Va. 
Newbern,  N.  C. 
Wilmington,  N.  C. 
Savannah,  Ga. 

Tamnn 

Kej-^W»t^^ria. 

Androscoggin 

tXp.;.^':: 

IVelloi  shli). 

fsfa^- 

Algonquin 

Astoria,  Oreg. 
Sao  Franolso)  Cal 

For  information  as  to  vacancies  on  any  cutter,  address  the  com- 
manding officer,  thus:  Commanding  Officer,  Coast  Guard  Cutter 
Osslpee,  Portland,  Me. 

LIST  OF  DISTRICTS,  UNITED  STATES  COAST  GUARD. 

First  District,  coasts  of  Maine  and  Now  Hampsliiro.  Address  Dis- 
trict Superintendent,  Portsmouth,  N.  H. 

Second  District,  coast  of  Massachusetts.  Address  District  Super- 
intendent, Provmcetown,  Mass. 

Third  District,  coasts  of  Khode  Island  and  Fishers  Island,  N.  Y. 
Address  District  Superintendent,  Wakefield,  R.  I. 

Fourth  District,  coast  of  Long  Island.  Address  District  Superin- 
tendent, Bay  Shore,  N.  Y." 

Fifth  District,  coast  of  New  Jersey.  Address  District  Superintend- 
ent, Asbury  Park,  N.  J. 

Sixth  District,  coast  from  Cape  Henlopen  to  Cape  Charles.  Address 
District  Superintendent,  Lewes,  Del. 

Seventh  District,  coast  from  Cape  Henry  to  South  CaroUna. 
Address  District  Supermtendent,  Elizabeth  City,  N.  C. 

Eighth  District,  coasts  of  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  and  cast  coast 
of  Florida.     Address  District  Superintendent,  Jacksonville,  Fla. 

Ninth  District,  coast  of  GuK  of  Mexico.  Address  District  Super- 
intendent, Galveston,  Tex. 

Tenth  District,  coasts  of  Lake  Erie  and  Lake  Ontario  and  station 
at  Louisville,  Ky.     Address  District  Superintendent,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Eleventh  District,  coasts  of  Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Superior. 
Address  District  Superintendent,  Port  Huron,  Mich. 

Twelfth  District,  coast  of  Lake  Michigan.  Address  District  Super- 
intendent, Grand  Haven,  Mich. 

Thirteenth  District,  Pacific  coast,  including  station  at  Nome, 
Alaska.     Address  District  Superintendent,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

For  information  as  to  vacancies  at  any  station,  address  the  appro- 
priate district  supiirintondont,  thus:  District  Superintendent,  First 
District  Coast  Guard,  Portsmouth,  N.  H. 

WASHINGTO.V  :   GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE:   1916 


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